Question

at least $170,000 a year. the seventieth - ranked wrestler in japan, meanwhile, earns only $15,000 a year. life isnt very sweet outside the elite. low - ranked wrestlers must tend to their superiors, preparing their meals and cleaning their quarters and even soaping up their hardest - to - reach body parts. so ranking is everything.
a wrestlers ranking is based on his performance in the elite tournaments that are held six times a year. each wrestler has fifteen bouts per tournament, one per day over fifteen consecutive days. if he finishes the tournament with a winning record (eight victories or better), his ranking will rise. if he has a losing record, his ranking falls. if it falls far enough, he is booted from the elite rank entirely. the eighth victory in any tournament is therefore critical, the difference between promotion and demotion; it is roughly four times as valuable in the rankings as the typical victory.
based on the excerpt, which statement provides the best example of incentive for a sumo wrestler to cheat?
sumo wrestling is revered in a way that american sports can never be.
a sumo wrestler near the top of the elite pyramid may earn millions of dollars.
sumo wrestling has fifteen bouts in each elite tournament.
a sumo wrestler must participate in elite tournaments six times a year.

Explanation:

The text emphasizes that ranking is everything in sumo wrestling. A wrestler near the top (elite) earns much more (at least $170,000 a year compared to low - ranked $15,000). The incentive to cheat would be related to the high financial gain from being in a high rank. The statement about a sumo wrestler near the top of the elite pyramid earning millions (implied by the contrast with low - ranked earnings and the importance of ranking) provides an incentive as higher rank (which could be potentially cheated for) leads to more money. The other options (sumo being revered, number of bouts, number of tournaments) do not directly relate to an incentive (like financial gain) for cheating.

Answer:

A sumo wrestler near the top of the elite pyramid may earn millions of dollars.